Motivation: Where does it come from?

A thousand different things run through my mind when I run. When I lift. When I am on the elliptical. When I chose a healthy food over garbage. Motivation. We all have different things, or people that motivate us. Something kick starts us to begin the journey. Wait. Not just begin the journey, but CONTINUE the journey. For a lifetime. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. How many times have you started and then started? A diet. An exercise regime. At some point in time, something clicks in your brain. It's not about a "diet". I hate that word. What a waste of letters. You've got to find some way of digging deep and motivating yourself.
My daughter Jillian and I were talking on the way to the gym this morning. I was telling her, "You know that feeling you get when you bump the number up a notch on the treadmill? Or make a healthy choice and chose NOT to eat garbage? Or chose to get up at 5:15 a.m. and go to the gym instead of sleeping in?". You are empowering yourself. Every single time. With every single positive step. With every single choice. Doesn't mean occasionally you won't backslide. We all do. We're all human. But, THAT feeling...you know what I'm talking about...that feeling..."I did it. I can do it." It EMPOWERS you. It MOTIVATES you. It STRENGTHENS you.
I do my long runs on Fridays. Last Friday I did 10 miles. On my facebook page I posted "10 cookies. Someone can give you 10 cookies. You can take 10 cookies. But 10 miles? You have to earn 10 miles. Today? Today I earned my 10 miles." I told Jill, "With every thing YOU do on this journey...this journey towards better health...better physical fitness...YOU own it...YOU have earned it. Noone can take that from you. YOU are the one gettting up at 5:15 in the morning. YOU are the one on the treadmill. YOU are the one lifting weights. YOU are the one bumping it up a notch. YOU are the one losing pounds. Inches. Sizes. Getting stronger. YOU EARNED IT. YOU OWN IT. Noone did it for you. Claim it. You deserve it. And then? Pay it forward."